1. Field of the Invention
The present invention is in the field of generating patterned structures on a monolith substrate in micro-mechanics involving the use of a plurality of etching masks of different etching characteristics in sequence.
2. Description of the Prior Art
When a monolith whose structure includes different thicknesses or different depths is to be structured in micro-mechanics, such structures have heretofore been produced only with mechanical methods such as boring, milling, spark discharge erosion, or the like.
In semiconductor technology, structures having a depth between about 0.1 micron and 1 micron are usually generated on the surface of a semiconductor with standard photolithographic processes. Since the thickness of the photoresist layer employed is on the order of 1 micron to 4 microns, an arbitrary number of photolithographic structuring steps can be provided in sequence in semiconductor technology without the structures previously applied on the surface of the semiconductors and preceding structuring steps presenting an obstacle.
The standard photolithographic processes which are used in semiconductor technology cannot be transferred to micro-mechanics without further complications because structures having a depth of up to 500 microns and more are required in a monolith in micro-mechanics. A succession of sequential structuring steps such as are standard in semiconductor technology with standard photolithographic processes cannot be carried out by means of a photosystem in micro-mechanics. Even two successive structuring steps by means of photosystems are not possible in micro-mechanics.